The Kurchatov Institute will help Tajikistan to restore a Soviet nuclear reactor

Kurchatov Institute National Research Centre will help the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Tajikistan restore the operation of the Argus nuclear research reactor, built and abandoned in the 1980s. In the future, the reactor’s power can be used, among other things, for the production of oncological drugs.

The Argus brine reactor was never put into operation after construction was completed. In 2016, the government of Tajikistan supported its restoration program; It was planned to spend three years for these purposes. In 2021, local media reported delays in the project – at that time, the facility’s operability was estimated at 85%.

The decision to restore the rector together with Russian scientists was made in November during the visit of the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon to Moscow. The parties agreed to conduct research, including those related to nuclear physics and nuclear technology, intended for peaceful purposes.

In addition, the agreement provides for the holding of scientific conferences. The document was concluded for a period of five years with the possibility of further extension. Note that a reactor similar to Argus is located at the Kurchatov Institute and has been put into operation.

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